• Home
  • CONTACT
  • TRAVEL
  • ABOUT
© 2026 Freya Theme by Sparrow and Snow | Disclosure Policy
  • Home
  • CONTACT

The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

  • ABOUT
  • TRAVEL
  • Home
  • CONTACT

The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

  • ABOUT
  • TRAVEL

Best Things to Do in Vienna: Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly Attractions + Easy Day Trips

  • Life
  • Jul 29, 2026
  • 2 Comments
St. Stephen's cathedral on a sunny day in Vienna, Austria.

We spent a full month living in Vienna as a family, and that gave us time to visit a lot of famous landmarks, check out different museums, use the public transit system (repeatedly!!), eat lots of food, take day trips to three different countries (Slovakia, Hungary, and Czechia), and discover some quirky hidden gems (my…

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • pinterest
Continue Reading

Our First 24 Hours at the Lake

Indy and I are settling in for a few days visiting my parents at their lakeside home. It’s a fairly short trip. We left after church on Sunday and arrived in time for a…

Continue Reading
  • Life, Summer Celebrations
  • Jul, 28, 2026
  • 24 Comments

When to DNF a Book + 4 More Questions for Readers

Every time I write about reading habits, I think I’ve exhausted the topic.

Obviously that’s utterly ridiculous! We readers are a fascinating breed, and there are always more questions to ask about how (and why)…

Continue Reading
  • Reading
  • Jul, 27, 2026
  • 47 Comments

Happy Things Friday: 24 July

That was a busy week.

Saturday was FULL of errands and prepping for camp until I eventually collapsed in bed for a nap.

Sunday was church, the World Cup Final, Belle had a friend over…

Continue Reading
  • Life
  • Jul, 24, 2026
  • 42 Comments

Join Me: August Gratitude Practice + Free Printables

I’m hosting a little gratitude practice for August over at Lighthouse Keepers, my Patreon community, and I’d love to have you participate.

I’ve created two free printable trackers: one with 31 (short!) daily prompts and…

Continue Reading
  • Gratitude, Joy
  • Jul, 23, 2026
  • 12 Comments

Flight Cancellation Compensation: We Got Nearly $4,000 CAD!!

You know I love talking about simple ways to save money. Last week I talked about thrift-store coupons and a free replacement suitcase. Yesterday I talked about cash-back rewards and free chocolates from Lufthansa….

Continue Reading
  • Frugality, Euro Adventure, Travel, United Kingdom
  • Jul, 22, 2026
  • 12 Comments

9 More Simple Ways to Save Money (Recent Frugal Wins)

Apparently, one roundup of frugal wins was not enough!!!

Last week I shared nine simple ways we’ve saved money this summer… and immediately came up with another list!

Of course I find the “big” wins…

Continue Reading
  • Frugality
  • Jul, 21, 2026
  • 22 Comments
1 2 3 … 106 »
Become a Patron!
Hi! I'm Elisabeth...

    Search
    Travel
    GUESTS
    BOOKS
    Recent posts
    • St. Stephen's cathedral on a sunny day in Vienna, Austria.
      Best Things to Do in Vienna: Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly Attractions + Easy Day Trips

      July 29, 2026

    • Our First 24 Hours at the Lake

      July 28, 2026

    • When to DNF a Book + 4 More Questions for Readers

      July 27, 2026

    © 2026 Freya Theme by Sparrow and Snow | Disclosure Policy | Privacy Policy